As with Caicedo – who cost the Blues £115m (The Times) – Lavia’s decision to snub Liverpool felt like a hammer blow at a time when the Reds were desperately seeking to bring in a defensive midfielder.

However, the subsequent signings of Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch – who between them cost slightly less than the Belgian – enabled Jurgen Klopp to tick that box before the summer transfer deadline, with the Dutchman quickly making a big impression at Anfield.

Machin is right in saying that Lavia was ‘overpriced’, with Southampton rejecting three bids from Anfield as they repeatedly sought £50m+ for a player who only has one season of regular senior football to his name, one which saw him stand out for a team which finished bottom of the Premier League.

The 19-year-old could yet go on to excel at Chelsea, but had Liverpool succeeded in their pursuit of him, it seems most unlikely that they’d have gone for Gravenberch.

While admittedly both players are in the early weeks of their time at their respective clubs, the signs so far point towards the Reds getting much the better deal.

Despite the initial frustration of missing out on Lavia, the Anfield hierarchy will probably be thankful over how their midfielder search ultimately transpired.

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